CIHS PROGRAM SESSIONS: HAZMAT IN HARMONY

Explore our current program offerings below. Additional sessions and events will be added as they become available, so check back often to discover updates and new opportunities to learn, connect, and engage! 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

 

OPENING SESSION

Safety and Antitrust Briefing
Chris Brown (CHEMTREC®)
 
Presentation of Colors
Color Guard
 
A Welcome from CHEMTREC® 
Andrew H. LaVanway (CHEMTREC®)
 
Keynote
Keni Thomas

 

Track 1 – UNDERSTANDING THE SCORE - MODERN HAZMAT RISK LANDSCAPE

Track 2 – TUNING THE INSTRUMENT - BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS

Get critical insights on the latest regulations, compliance hurdles, and emerging risks confronting hazmat logistics today. Learn proven strategies to protect your operations against evolving threats and build safer, more resilient response plans.
  • • CIRS APAC Update
  • Lucy Wang (CIRS)
  • • The EU Forges Ahead: Key Chemical Regulatory Actions to Watch in 2026 and Strategies for Compliance
  • Claire Mathis (H2 Compliance)
  • • Risk, Reputation, Readiness: From Compliance to Corporate Responsibility
  • Responsible Care, Erica Fisher (TRANSCAER) + Chris Scott (CHEMTREC®)
  • • U.S. Department of State’s Chemical Security Program (CSP) on security assistance programming to prevent weaponization of chemicals with partners worldwide
  • U.S. Department of State + FBI
  • • Regulatory Harmony: Staying in Sync with the DOT
  • PHMSA, FRA, FAA + FMCSA

Experts share what it takes to build and sustain organizational readiness through workforce skills development, emergency preparedness, response coordination, and cross‑organizational collaboration to ensure your organization is ready when incidents occur.

  • • Rail Risk & Readiness: Strengthening Hazmat Preparedness from Industry Strategy to Class I Response
  • Andy Elkins (Association of American Railroads) +  Joe Taylor (CSX Transportation) 
  • • On-Site Lithium Battery Storage Standards 
  • Mike Pagel (Americase)
  • • From Risk Blindness to Readiness: Transforming Emergency Preparedness at Scale
  • Kaleb Pietkoski (GE Vernova)
  • • Leveraging Risk Management & Insurance to Strengthen Emergency Response
  • Beth Mineau (Trical Solutions Inc.)
  • • Recognition of Clandestine Labs
  • Adam Weiss (Downrange Solutions)
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* Breakfast and lunch available and a welcome reception to follow 

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

 

OPENING SESSION

 

 

 

Track 3 – CONDUCTING THE ENSEMBLE - OPERATIONAL RESPONSE EXCELLENCE

Track 4 - HARMONIZING RESPONSE - CRITICAL ROLE OF QUALITY SAFETY DATA SHEETS IN EMERGENCIES

Learn how to strengthen your emergency response program, from the initial first call through ongoing responder support. Industry leaders will share real‑world strategies for navigating emergencies, supply chain impacts, and high‑hazard incidents so you can build a response program that performs when it matters most.

  • • Breaking Silos in Emergency Response: Building Cross-Functional Resilience Across Complex Operations 
  • Nate Schock (EMD Eletronics) + Ryan Goldsmith (Chemours)
  • • Are You Really Ready for the Call?
  • Pam Medina (Trical Solutions Inc.)
  • • Global Emergency Response for High-Hazard Operations
  • Aaron Montgomery (Ouray)
  • • Spin-Offs, Mergers and Transitions in Dangerous Goods - Staying on Top of Dangerous Goods Safety and Emergency Response
  • Matt Houston (Solstice Advanced Materials)
  • • Two Decades of Hazmat Response: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
  • Lee Nelson (SERTC)
  • • Beyong the Plan: Building Resilent Emergency Response Readiness
  • Llyod Moore (Kemira)
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Discover why accurate, accessible, and up‑to‑date Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are critical during incidents. Learn how incomplete or outdated SDS information can slow response, increase risk, and impact responder safety, and what organizations can do to improve SDS quality and accessibility.
  • • Beyond Compliance: What a High-Quality SDS Really Looks Like
  • Katie Lavender (CHEMTREC®) + Steve Laughlin (CURA)
  • • SDS Under Pressure: When Responders Need Answers in Minutes
  • Jon Starling (CHEMTREC®)
  • • Streamlining SDS Updates and Ensuring Emergency Availability in a Digital World
  • Darrell Martin (LISAM)
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* Breakfast and lunch available and a networking reception to follow 

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026

 

OPENING SESSION

Drones in Emergency Response: Enhancing Speed, Safety, and Situational Awareness
James Edwards + Evan Rinke (BASF)

Track 5 – COMPOSING THE FUTURE - INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESILIENCE

Get an inside look at the technologies redefining how the industry detects risk, trains responders, and manages dangerous goods logistics. From AI‑enabled training platforms to autonomous shipping and advanced hazard detection, you’ll learn how new tools are strengthening resilience and what that means for the future of emergency response.
  • • EP&R Simulation Platform Built to Strengthen Incident Command System Performance Through Repeatable, Multi-user Incident Scenarios
  • Tim Chappell (Exxon)
  • • AI‑Enabled Training for Emergency Response Scenarios
  • Trine Bjornsen & Ole Paulsen (Sklls)
  • • Beyond Traditional Logistics: Autonomy, Digitization, and the Future of Shipping
  • Michael Brown (Supply Energetics)
  • • Advanced Hazard Detection, Wearables, and Autonomous Tools Technology Showcase

 

* Breakfast and lunch available

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